Every Rose Has Its Thorn
by amytaylorson
Summary: Breathe in. "Survive" Breathe out. "Survive" I was running, one leg in front of the other, moving faster and harder than I had in my entire life. That one thought consumed me, took over my mind and body, I knew I had to survive. Daryl/OC
1. Survival

**A/N This story is set after the events of season 3 with a new character being brought into the mix. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead or any of it's characters. The only thing I own is my fictional character Rose Turner.**

**Please review! This is the first fan fiction story so let me know what you think :-) **

* * *

Breathe in.

_"Survive"_

Breathe out.

_"Survive"_

I was running, one leg in front of the other, moving faster and harder than I had in my entire life. That one thought consumed me, took over my mind and body, I knew I had to survive. My brain was like a live wire, shocking me over and over with the immediate danger I was in. All I knew was that I had to flee this stretch of highway as fast as I possibly could.

I wove in and out of the assortment of deserted vehicles which created an unwelcome obstacle in my escape; they were strewn across my path in every possible direction. In fact they were almost becoming as big of a threat as the herd of the un-dead pursuing me at this moment in time… almost.

"Damn it!"

I looked around myself, trying to think of cunning plan out of this situation I had somehow managed to find myself in. My hands formed a vice like grip on the only weapons I had managed to scavenge, my now trusty butchers knife and a weighty baseball bat, each an excellent weapon to kill a few infected at a time, but they were definitely not equipped to kill the now twenty or so hungry for my flesh.

Out of the corner of my vision I noticed the dense forest that lined the road; it would provide me with much needed cover from the snarling, rotting hands that were getting uncomfortably close to me with each second that passed.

Surprisingly my body reacted before my overheated brain had the chance to make a decision. I found I was sprinting towards the safety of the trees, surprising myself with my own athletic ability, never being the sporty type at school or… who am I kidding, ever.

I was running on pure adrenaline as I somehow managed to jump and successfully clear the metre high barrier separating the highway from the woodland. Checking behind me I realised my escape had gone unnoticed by the brainless bunch who were previously drooling over my meat suit.

I hurriedly continued down the small incline that led me into the camouflage of the darkened forest, it was blanketed in murky earth and a kaleidoscope of foliage.

"Phew, that was close!" I breathed out in my moment of relief.

My main aim was to put as much distance between the dangers I had just experienced as possible so I carried on walking for about an hour, deeper into the maze of trees and deeper into the unknown…


	2. Rescue

Exhaustion was starting to kick in, my limbs felt disconnected from my body and I could barely walk more than two steps at a time without nearly tripping over and having to stop and catch my breath. Finding myself unable to move any farther I decided to stop and rest for the night, dusk was fast approaching and I would need to find a safe place to hold up for the time being until finding somewhere more secure.

I was definitely lost by this point and had probably been travelling around in circles for the past five hours. I had used my quota for genius ideas for the day so settled on using the resources surrounding me.

After half climbing, half dragging my tired, small frame into the nearest, tallest tree I collapsed, letting the dead weight which was my body finally relax for the first time since the sun rose this morning. It felt like such a long time ago that I awoke in the abandoned gas station on the same stretch of highway that had nearly cost me my life. In this new world you really do have to live each day like your last.

I pulled my rucksack off my sore shoulders and rummaged around for my bottle of water taking a few sips of the refreshing liquid, I had to make sure it lasted me a few more days so this was all I allowed myself for the time being. I then grabbed the bar of milk chocolate I had excitedly found a few days ago before breaking off a couple of pieces and savouring the heavenly taste of my favourite food.

I would definitely need all the energy I could manage when facing the uncertainty of a new day tomorrow.

I settled back into the bark of the tree using my thin trench coat as a makeshift blanket. I looked up into the darkening sky and took deep calming breaths; I felt my eyes begin to close on their own accord and then quickly felt the familiar fog of sleep take over.

The soothing sounds of the chirping birds woke me up peacefully the next morning, not a moan or shuffling of feet on the forest floor to be heard which in my opinion, is a good way to start the day. I could definitely do without any of those freaks trying to take a bite out of me first thing in the morning!

Carefully scrambling back down the tree I had used as my bed for the night, I landed on the floor with a soft thud. Making sure I had my now meagre belongings with me, I held tightly onto my knife and began my trek to hopefully find an old hunting cabin or anywhere considered remotely safe these days. It would be a hard task to complete but it needed to be done, my life depended on that very fact.

My thoughts drifted to the UK and my friends and family whose fate was unknown to me now, I would probably never see them again, and even if by some miracle I survived this nightmare what were the chances they all did too? Not a high one that's for sure; of all the places to be when the world ended I had not planned to be in the USA. Especially not to end up alone and lost in woods…

Sighing I carried on walking cautiously, keeping my eye out for any wondering threats; all I could hear were the sounds of the birds and the crunching of twigs and leaves beneath my feet. I wish I knew how to hunt, my food supply was running dangerously low and I wasn't going to find a fully stocked supermarket just waiting for me in the middle of the woods.

My thoughts this time drifted to my Auntie and cousin who I was separated from in the chaos of the unknown virus sweeping the country. I was staying with them in Atlanta for a few months, spending my time sightseeing and soaking up everything American. But that was not to last long and now I'm all alone without food, water or shelter and no idea what had happened to the people I love and care for.

"AHHH" I screamed out in frustration, not caring in that moment about the attention I would generate towards myself and sank defeated to the ground, what was I going to do now!?

No I had to keep going, my family wouldn't want me to give up, and they would want me to keep surviving as long as possible. With my mind made up I stood with a new found determination and carried on with long strides.

After a while I could see a small river ahead of me so stopped to fill up my now half empty water bottle, rewarding myself with a long gulp of the cold water. Feeling only slightly better about the predicament I was in I turned around with the intention to follow the running water and see where it took me, I remember reading somewhere that was your best option when lost in the woods, unless I just made that up in my head, who knows? It was my only option now anyway.

However it seemed my fate was already decided, as I turned my body I was met with a clawing hand, frantically reaching out towards me. I screamed with pure fear and started to back away in the opposite direction, forgetting momentarily that I was walking straight into the running water.

Time seemed to slow down in that moment as my foot caught on something near the edge of the water and I felt myself propelled backwards. The only thing I could see hovering above me was the remains of what was once a living human being, now turned into a savage beast, hungry for flesh and violence. My head connected with something hard and my vision swam as I struggled to remain conscious.

_This is it. I'm going to die now. Ripped to shreds on the forest floor which yesterday helped saved my life. _

As my eyes began to close I heard a strange sound, kind of like a whooshing sound followed in procession by a loud thud. Somehow I managed to turn over fully onto my back and in a pathetic attempt to save my own life held my shaking arm out in front of me which still had a hold of my knife, it was shaking so much my dizziness increased. That's when I noticed a man peering over me with a strange expression on his face and a pair of the most beautiful blue eyes I had ever seen.

I was now floating as the air swam around me, caressing my face with a moments relief, my knife clattering to the ground forgotten.

That's when the darkness swarmed around me and there was nothing.


	3. Prison

As each of my senses returned to my body one by one, my confused brain could only manage to process the feeling of something warm and soft cocooned around me, holding me tightly in place. This was accompanied by a pulsing pain resting just about my right eye; it gradually grew in intensity spreading around the rest of my head as I became more aware of my surroundings.

My eyelids fluttered open and then just as suddenly closed as a blinding light invaded my vision.

_Where am I? What happened? Am I dead?_

A barrage of thoughts and emotions attacked my mind as I tried to figure out my bearings. Groaning in frustration I rolled onto my side and with a great amount of caution, slightly cracked open each eyelid in turn.

I reached up and felt a protruding lump on the right side of my head hidden under my now unkempt, tangled hair.

_I could really do with a shower!_

Just as this stray thought popped into my head I heard what sounded like heavy footsteps heading towards me, pivoting my head around the small space I realised with a great amount of trepidation that I was in a prison cell…

_Great, what kind of loonies would be living in a prison! Oh god, oh god, I really hope it's not actual prisoners!_

As the cell door slid open, I promptly backed up as far as the small space would allow on the tiny bed I was sitting on. I mean I didn't know the type of person I would be encountering and if they meant me any harm or not. You couldn't be too careful these days; the infected were not the only threat out there anymore.

I then realised that my weapons were nowhere in sight; either they were left behind or had been taken from me, I didn't know which option was worse…

A man wearing what I presumed was a sheriff's uniform slowly entered the room, upon noticing I was now awake and scared, he carefully raised his hands in surrender and proceeded to speak to me in a calm and collected voice.

"It's ok I'm not going to hurt you… my names Rick Grimes. Another member of our group found you injured in the woods and brought you back here for our help."

It took me a few moments to process his words, my brain and body weren't moving very fast at the minute. After an amount of time passed which could be considered uncomfortable, Rick cleared his throat and looked at me like I had actually lost my mind or maybe couldn't speak English…

"Oh… ok that's kind of you, thanks" I replied with slight caution. He could be lying for all I knew.

"No problem, do you have a name?" Rick asked me; looking somewhat relieved I could actually hear and understand him.

"R – Rose Turner" I stuttered my name out, cringing slightly that I sounded so nervous, though I had been through hell in the past few days so I cut myself some slack. Sitting up straight and extended my hand in a formal greeting, Rick took the offered hand and smiled down at me.

"Well nice to meet you Rose. How do you feel?"

"Ok I guess, my head hurts a bit and I feel kind of weak… but overall I'll survive…. thanks to you."

"Oh no don't thank me, its Daryl and Hershel you need to be thanking. Daryl is the one that found you out in the woods, told us you hit your head pretty hard on a rock, and Hershel is a medical professional so he had a look at you, but don't worry he informed me no permanent damage is done, you just need plenty of rest."

At his words my mind was propelled back to the earlier events of my near death experience, an unwelcome shudder coursed throughout my body. I tried a small smile to reassure Rick I was ok but it came out more of a pained grimace.

"It was right behind me before I had a chance to react…must of snuck up on me when I was getting some water from the creek. I just panicked and… well then I was falling. Thought I was a goner this time for sure…." I trailed of as the reality of the situation hit me, I could be dead right if it wasn't for this group of survivors.

"Well you were lucky Daryl was out hunting at the time. He's a pretty good shot with that crossbow of his" he added with a chuckle.

"Huh yeah lucky me" I replied with a small laugh of my own.

"So were you on your own out there?" He asked with curiosity.

"Yes…. I was separated from my family when the outbreak started… haven't been able to find them since…" I looked down at my hands and tried not to start crying, I didn't want to come across as weak in front of these people, I mean if they were decent enough maybe they would let me stay with them. I really, really didn't want to go back out on my own, especially now I knew there were other people still alive and managing to survive.

"How old are you if you don't mind me asking?" I looked up and Rick was staring down at me with what looked like compassion and again curiosity, I guess he wanted to find out as much about me as possible before letting me out of the cell…

_Well that's just great; I actually am a prisoner now!_

"No its fine, I'm 24."

He nodded his head and then reached over to the small table pushed against the wall of the cell, I noticed for the first time a glass of water and a plate of food sat on top; my stomach churned and rumbled in anticipation.

Rick passed me the glass of water I was still eyeing up and I greedily gulped down the entire glass. A moment afterwards the plate of food was presented to me… well let's just say I devoured the food within minutes, not even taking a moment to see what it was.

The sheriff looked at me with amused eyes and perched on the only chair in the corner of the room, opposite the bed. I cringed slightly embarrassed at how I behaved.

_No need to be embarrassed… you haven't eaten properly in a few days remember!_

"Well I let you get some more rest and in the meantime I will discuss with the rest of the group about letting you stay with us, you seem harmless enough and it would be murder sending you out there on your own… Though I'll warn you now, any funny business and you will be forced to leave, understand?"

I squirmed under the intense gaze he was now giving me but somehow managed to nod purposefully and give him a smile I hoped showed I wasn't a crazy axe wielding murderer.

He smiled in return and seemed satisfied with my response, on his way out of the cell he turned and asked me one more question.

"Oh by the way is that an English accent? You don't sound like you're from around these parts"

"Yeah I live in England; I was on holiday… I mean vacation, staying with my aunt and cousin, sightseeing and stuff…" I trailed off, the subject still a sore one as their whereabouts and fate was unknown to me.

"Ah I see, well welcome to the USA, though not much of a welcome right?"

"No not really, though I'm sure this disease or whatever it is has spread all around the world, I just hope my family are alright... Suppose there is no way of knowing right now."

He gave me a sympathetic smile and with a small nod of his head exited the room, leaving me alone yet again.

After a few minutes of sitting in silence and trying to comprehend everything that had happened in such a short amount of time, I spotted a small, grimly looking mirror on the wall opposite me and decided to inspect my appearance. As I peered into the layers of dust and dirt I could vaguely make out my unrecognisable reflection.

The first thing I noticed were my eyes; they looked sad and tired, what was once the vivid green of my iris now looked dim in comparison. My pale skin looked if possible even paler and smeared in dirt. My hair was up in a messy bun, tangled and dishevelled, however you could clearly see the auburn colouring, even if it did look duller than usual.

Standing on my tiptoes I tried to look at the rest of my body; I wasn't naturally thin, but since surviving on meagre rations for so long I had lost a considerable amount of weight, not that I was complaining, at least the end of the world was good for something…

My clothes were torn and bloody, that much was obvious and expected when living in these conditions. Each item hung off my 5ft 4in frame loosely; I would have to try and find a new outfit from somewhere, though I had more important issues to solve at the minute.

Getting fed up of looking at my pitiful reflection in the mirror I decided to try and sleep for a little while longer whilst I had the chance. If the group decided they wanted me gone I would be out in the wild yet again, I probably wouldn't last much longer, so I would need all the sleep I could manage.

I lay back down and wrapped the blanked around my aching body, curling up into a ball I closed my eyes with a sigh and hoped I would dream about something nice for a change, instead of nightmares about the world I was now forced to live in.

Taking deep breaths to calm myself down I began to drift off into a peaceful enough sleep, probably comforted by the four walls surrounding me, at least no monsters could get me in here with a locked door to protect me.

As I fell asleep the last sounds I heard were the faint murmurs of several people talking back and forth, currently deciding on my fate…

I just hoped they made the right choice.


End file.
